Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership this weekend with a commanding victory over Hearts, taking full advantage of slip-ups from Rangers and Aberdeen.
Rangers dropped points against Dundee United, while Aberdeen fell to St Mirren, leaving the Hoops three points clear at the summit.
Celtic now faces a pivotal stretch of fixtures that could define their season. A win against Club Brugge in the Champions League would all but guarantee a play-off spot, along with a significant financial windfall from UEFA.
Domestically, a victory over Aberdeen in their next league outing would strengthen their position at the top, while success in the upcoming League Cup final against Rangers would secure the season’s first piece of silverware and pile further pressure on their Ibrox rivals.
The club’s momentum has been further bolstered by recent contract extensions for James Forrest and Alistair Johnston, signalling stability within Brendan Rodgers’ squad.
This period of dominance has left former Rangers striker Kris Boyd openly concerned about Celtic’s growing supremacy.
Boyd’s concerns over Celtic dominance
Speaking to Go Ballistic, Boyd said:
“I think when you look at Celtic you’re winning games of football. I mean Aberdeen had that challenge for a while. But you kind of got the feeling that it was just a matter of time before Celtic started to pull away.
“That’s them three clear of Aberdeen, eleven clear of Rangers. And as I said, we’re not even in December.
“It’s alarming from Rangers’ point of view. But from Celtic’s, you’ll be delighted to go to Tynecastle and score four goals.
“It was a difficult first half for them, but it was the exact same at Celtic Park a couple of weeks ago. It was a difficult first half for them, but they find a way. Celtic find a way.”
Upcoming fixtures favour Celtic
Celtic’s next six league fixtures appear manageable, with four home games at Celtic Park providing a significant advantage. They face Ross County, Aberdeen, Hibs, Dundee United, Motherwell, and St Johnstone before heading to Ibrox on 2 January.
In contrast, Rangers face four away games in their next six, including tough trips to St Johnstone, Ross County, and St Mirren, as well as hosting Kilmarnock and Dundee.
With the league table already showing an 11-point gap between the two Glasgow clubs, Rangers’ inconsistencies could leave their title hopes in tatters before the New Year. For now, all signs point to Celtic further solidifying their dominance as they head into this crucial period.
